Friday, July 31, 2009

I have a few things on my heart and mind tonight and I just need to share them. I'm just feeling overwhelmed and I think I need to write it out.

I blog for 3 purposes. One is to just share my life and especially now to share Harper with our family and friends. I love having a way that people can feel connected to us (just as much as I love feeling connected to so many of you. I feel like I know some of my blogger friends better than I know my real life friends who don't blog.....do ya'll feel that way?)

The other two purposes I have are ones that God has put on my heart. One is to encourage. I SO want to encourage so many of you who are on a journey of waiting or of searching to find God. I want to do anything I can to offer hope. The other is to pray and to ask for prayer for those in need. And there is SO MUCH need. Sometimes I just read through the requests and feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I've had to make a tough decision lately not to feature any fundraisers. I know so many are in need right now but there have been a lot of negative things go on in blogland lately and I just feel led to focus on praying for those in need and then if you feel like you should give - I hope you will. I'll be honest with ya'll - I've given to a LOT of bloggers as well as real life people. I feel very strongly about the part in the Bible where God says " To whom much is given .....much is required". God has blessed us so much and not just financially - we are blessed with health and love and family and friends and I could go on and on. So most importantly we tithe to our local church but we also always look for ways to help others. I hope you do also. I want to help everyone but I feel called mostly right now that the way I can help through my blog is to pray and lead in asking for prayer.

I also have SO many of you who want to feature giveaways or have me do giveaways on your product and I like to do this because I love to give exposure to all of you and help you get fun stuff but it has become VERY overwhelming for me so I'm trying to take a few months off from this. I've encouraged a lot of you to contact me mid September and I hope you will.

I think it's just that lately I've felt VERY convicted that I've put Harper in her exersaucer a few too many times so I can try to "answer e-mails" or when I put her down for a nap instead of doing much needed housework or other chores around my house - I run to the computer to try and catch up on my e-mails and blogs. And at night after Harper goes to bed, instead of spending MUCH needed time with my husband - I'm holed up trying to answer e-mails.

I DO want you to send me prayer requests. Or if you have questions or need advice or encouragement - PLEASE write me. Just understand that I need to focus on my family. This became real to me tonight when our little neighbor came running out to see Harper when we were on a walk. I told her that when we moved to our neighborhood - she was exactly Harper's age and on Monday she starts kindergarten. I know in the blink of an eye - I'll be sending Harper to school and I don't want to miss precious time with her because I was too tied up in my computer.

I love ya'll so much and it hurts me knowing I have 400 facebook messages I haven't answered and hundreds of e-mails and it's a mountain I just can't seem to climb. I want to pray for ya'll and I want you to know the God I know and love. I guess I just don't know how to handle it very well.

I'm actually going to close comments on this post because I don't want you to feel like you need to leave me sweet comments to tell me you love me and I also don't want you to tell me you hate me and that I'm a horrible, selfish person. I'm trying to listen right now to the comments from the ONE who really matters (God) and He is telling me "Be STILL and know that I am God."

Okay - with all that said......I AM going to post about one thing because it is on my heart and I had promised a while ago that when they were ready I would. Many of you have heard about Adrienne's story. They couldn't have children on their own so they adopted a son from Russia. They have since had two failed adoptions and are now trying to bring home a daughter, Lily, from South Korea. However, they have to raise the money. She is having an AMAZING giveaway that you should check out. The stuff she has is unbelievable!

And if nothing else - I still want to show you two precious pictures of my little cupcake!

I have a few things on my heart and mind tonight and I just need to share them. I'm just feeling overwhelmed and I think I need to write it out.

I blog for 3 purposes. One is to just share my life and especially now to share Harper with our family and friends. I love having a way that people can feel connected to us (just as much as I love feeling connected to so many of you. I feel like I know some of my blogger friends better than I know my real life friends who don't blog.....do ya'll feel that way?)

The other two purposes I have are ones that God has put on my heart. One is to encourage. I SO want to encourage so many of you who are on a journey of waiting or of searching to find God. I want to do anything I can to offer hope. The other is to pray and to ask for prayer for those in need. And there is SO MUCH need. Sometimes I just read through the requests and feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I've had to make a tough decision lately not to feature any fundraisers. I know so many are in need right now but there have been a lot of negative things go on in blogland lately and I just feel led to focus on praying for those in need and then if you feel like you should give - I hope you will. I'll be honest with ya'll - I've given to a LOT of bloggers as well as real life people. I feel very strongly about the part in the Bible where God says " To whom much is given .....much is required". God has blessed us so much and not just financially - we are blessed with health and love and family and friends and I could go on and on. So most importantly we tithe to our local church but we also always look for ways to help others. I hope you do also. I want to help everyone but I feel called mostly right now that the way I can help through my blog is to pray and lead in asking for prayer.

I also have SO many of you who want to feature giveaways or have me do giveaways on your product and I like to do this because I love to give exposure to all of you and help you get fun stuff but it has become VERY overwhelming for me so I'm trying to take a few months off from this. I've encouraged a lot of you to contact me mid September and I hope you will.

I think it's just that lately I've felt VERY convicted that I've put Harper in her exersaucer a few too many times so I can try to "answer e-mails" or when I put her down for a nap instead of doing much needed housework or other chores around my house - I run to the computer to try and catch up on my e-mails and blogs. And at night after Harper goes to bed, instead of spending MUCH needed time with my husband - I'm holed up trying to answer e-mails.

I DO want you to send me prayer requests. Or if you have questions or need advice or encouragement - PLEASE write me. Just understand that I need to focus on my family. This became real to me tonight when our little neighbor came running out to see Harper when we were on a walk. I told her that when we moved to our neighborhood - she was exactly Harper's age and on Monday she starts kindergarten. I know in the blink of an eye - I'll be sending Harper to school and I don't want to miss precious time with her because I was too tied up in my computer.

I love ya'll so much and it hurts me knowing I have 400 facebook messages I haven't answered and hundreds of e-mails and it's a mountain I just can't seem to climb. I want to pray for ya'll and I want you to know the God I know and love. I guess I just don't know how to handle it very well.

I'm actually going to close comments on this post because I don't want you to feel like you need to leave me sweet comments to tell me you love me and I also don't want you to tell me you hate me and that I'm a horrible, selfish person. I'm trying to listen right now to the comments from the ONE who really matters (God) and He is telling me "Be STILL and know that I am God."

Okay - with all that said......I AM going to post about one thing because it is on my heart and I had promised a while ago that when they were ready I would. Many of you have heard about Adrienne's story. They couldn't have children on their own so they adopted a son from Russia. They have since had two failed adoptions and are now trying to bring home a daughter, Lily, from South Korea. However, they have to raise the money. She is having an AMAZING giveaway that you should check out. The stuff she has is unbelievable!

And if nothing else - I still want to show you two precious pictures of my little cupcake!